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Agent: Oscar Pistorius has received 'overwhelming support'

Oscar Pistorius has received "overwhelming support" from his fans, his agent said Sunday, as he remained in custody in a South African police station charged with the shooting murder of his model girlfriend.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Oscar Pistorius has received "overwhelming support" from his fans, his agent said Sunday, as he remained in custody in a South African police station charged with the shooting murder of his model girlfriend.

Peet van Zyl said outside the Brooklyn police station soon after visiting Pistorius that "a lot of fans" had sent their good wishes. Van Zyl said the support was "really on a global scale. South African fans, international fans from literally all over the world."

Van Zyl said he visited Pistorius primarily to discuss his running career and would not respond to a question about the mental and emotional state of the 26-year-old athlete.

Pistorius broke down and wept at his first court appearance on Friday after he was charged with the murder of model and reality TV show contestant Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot multiple times in his house in the early hours of Thursday.

"I am not going to comment on anything except that (what) is related to his athletics career at this point in time," Van Zyl told reporters outside the police station in the South African capital, Pretoria.

Van Zyl called Steenkamp's killing tragic and said he visited Pistorius as a friend as well as an agent.

"Obviously from a management side and also as a friend, it's a tragic circumstance," Van Zyl said, "and we can only give Oscar our support at this point in time."

The main point of the visit was to update the multiple Paralympic champion and Olympic athlete on his crumbling track career and the situation with his sponsors, which were now expected to step back from their association with the world's most famous disabled athlete.

Van Zyl would release a statement either later Sunday or on Monday, he said, with exact details of the races and sponsorship deals that were now affected by Pistorius' arrest and murder charge.

He told The Associated Press on Saturday that he had begun canceling races for Pistorius scheduled for 2013, including Diamond League appearances and exhibition runs against fellow Paralympic champions Alan Oliveria of Brazil and Jonnie Peacock of Britain.

Sunday was likely the first time that Pistorius was told about the cancelations.

"The nature of my visit was on a professional manner to discuss his career and the plans that we had made for this year with the IAAF (world) championships in Moscow as the main goal for this year," Van Zyl said. "We obviously just discussed the races and the contracts that had been signed and secured for this year and also to keep him up to date with regard to the sponsors."

Photographers swarm around Oscar Pistorius as he stands in the courtroom during the fourth day of his bail hearing after he was charged with premeditated murder in the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. (Photo: Themba Hadebe, AP)

Aimee, left, the sister of South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius is pictured with two unidentified people during her brother's bail hearing on Feb. 21. (Photo: Alexander Joe, AFP/Getty Images)

Mike Steenkamp, (left) uncle of late South African model Reeva Steenkamp, is comforted by Reeva's brother, Adam, as he speaks to the news media during the memorial service in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday. (Photo: Alexander Joe, FP/Getty Images)

Henke Pistorius (left), the father of Oscar Pistorius, speaks with his son's coach, Ampie Louw, on Tuesday after the sprinter's bail hearing was adjourned for the day. (Photo: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN AFP/Getty Images)

The brother and sister of South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, Carl and Aimee, attend their brother's bail hearing in Pretoria, South Africa, on Tuesday. (Photo: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN AFP/Getty Images)

Oscar Pistorius hides his face in his hands in the courtroom during his hearing Friday in which he was formally charged with premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. (Photo: ANTOINE DE RAS, AFP/Getty Images)

In this screen grabbed off of AFP's TV feed, Oscar Pistorius, right, looks at his father, Henke Pistorius, as he leaves the courtroom following the hearing on Friday. (Photo: Claire Price, AFP/Getty Images)

Pistorius shares a quick moment with his father following the court hearing in which Pistorius was formally charged with premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. (Photo: Antoine de Ras, AP)

Oscar Pistorius' sister, Aimee, left, leaves the Mamelodi Hospital, east of Pretoria, South Africa, with unidentified persons, on Thursday after visiting her brother while he was being examined. (Photo: AP)

Workers are shown taking down a billboard of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius endorsing a product in Johannesburg. Pistorius was taken into custody after a 30-year-old woman, Reeva Steenkamp, was shot dead at his home. Front billboard for Master Card has nothing to do with Pistorius story. (Photo: Dion Chang, AP)